Written by

Free Press Staff Writer

BENNINGTON — Swallowed out of respect, the boos were noticeably quieter for Jesse Webb.

Normally when a Mount Anthony Union High School wrestler takes the mat for a Vermont state championship, the atmosphere becomes a raucous verbal tug of war between the Patriot faithful and the rest of the crowd, which inevitably rallies behind the challenger. It’s a scene that gets an extra shot of adrenaline when played out in the perennial powerhouse’s home gym.

But Webb isn’t any Mount Anthony wrestler.

And when the senior heavyweight, already Vermont’s winningest wrestler, stamped his credentials as one of the state’s all-time greats on Saturday night, winning the 285-pound crown for the fourth time, the usual jeers gave way to cheers. With the first-period pin, his fourth of the tournament, Webb capped a career unbeaten and unmatched in Vermont as he helped lead the Patriots to another championship, their 26th in a row, extending their own national record.

“It was real important,” Webb said of getting his fourth title. “I just want to go out there and dominate and prove myself and show them what this team is all about, not give them any way to boo, not give them a reason.

“I knew it coming in. I was ready for it all. It was just another day, doing my thing.”

Webb, unbeaten this year and voted the outstanding wrestler of the state championships, heads to the New England tournament next weekend with a 227-9 career record and a chance to defend his regional crown

“I can honestly say when he was in eighth grade we could see it. I was about 99.9 percent sure he had such a love for the sport and a passion and a drive that something like this could happen,” MAU coach Scott Legacy said. “He keeps getting better.”

Adding another layer to its already staggering history of success, Mount Anthony, behind seven individual winners and a whopping 34 pins in 50 matches, set a new state record for points with 336.5. That number beat its own previous mark by four and once again lapped the field.

“We have the numbers and it just came all together for us this year, this group of kids that are working year-round. It’s been great,” said Terriers coach Claude Weyant, whose 15-wrestler team competed in 13 of 14 weight classes.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, Mount Anthony’s in the state of Vermont,” Weyant said. “If they were in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, they’d be the state champions there. If they weren’t here, we’d be the champions today.”

The Cougars fielded four finalists, second only to the Patriots, and captured crowns with sophomore Bryce Bernadine (126) and freshman Daniel Bliss.

Bliss kept the 106-pound mantle in the family, following his brother, Ben, the 2013 champion. In the only final to require overtime, the younger Bliss edged MAU’s Calvin Call 7-5 with just 19 seconds left on the clock.

“It was the toughest match I’ve had all year and possibly my whole life,” Bliss said. “Overtime was really hard. It was pretty amazing. I heard everyone chanting my name and that really inspired me to keep moving on. I knew I wanted it to be the best day of my life.”

St. Johnsbury and Vergennes rounded out the top five teams, respectively.

Grant Poston, one of two finalists for Champlain Valley, earned a championship for the Redhawks at 170. He survived a tense third period against MAU’s Damon Young that nearly tilted to defeat as he had his right shoulder torqued at an unnatural angle and required a stop in action to recover before scoring a crucial late reversal.

“At that point I knew if I went over I would’ve lost the match, so I just had to fight it off and it came out to be worth it, withstanding all that pain,” Poston said. “I was wincing in pain. It was very uncomfortable to say the least. My whole arm kind of went numb.”

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Along with Webb, Mount Anthony’s six other champions included Troy Gassaway (120) and Austin Price (182), both undefeated this season, as well as Tyler Raetz (113), Dylan LaFountain (132) and Tyler Mattison (195).